Conventional, decorative vinyl wall coverings are typically formed from a sheet of calendered polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resin formulation printed on its front face with fanciful designs and colors. A backing layer composed of a woven or non-woven sheet of polyester and/or cotton fibers may be bonded to the back face of the PVC sheet for dimensional stability, while a thin protective coating composed of an essentially transparent polymer can be bonded to the front face of the sheet.
The protective coatings currently used on commercially-available wall coverings adequately protect the underlying PVC sheet, including its fanciful design, from damage and abuse. Nonetheless, it is still difficult to remove certain types of markings from such products. For example, markings made from crayon, ink, paints and other materials often found in homes with children are often difficult to remove. That is why children in most homes are encouraged, in the strongest of terms, not to write on the walls.